Circulation system for internal-combustion engines.



C. Y. KNIGHT.- cmcuLAnoN SYSTEM roa INTERNAL comsusnom memes. I

Patented July 17, 1917.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 9, 1915.

CHARLES Y. KNieHnor rAsAnENA, cALIronNIA, 'AssIGNoNTo KNIGHT AMERICAN rATnNTs coMrANY, or cnrcaeo, ILLINOIS, A conronATIoN-or ILLINOIs.

CIRCULATION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

eandra.

Application filed December 9, 1915. Serial No.

Tn all ie/tom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Y. KNIGHT,

-a citizen of the United States, residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and 'State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circulation Systems for Internal-Combustion lEn- "gines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustio'n engines, and has for its purpose the prevention of freezing of the liquid used in circulating systems of such engines, and to facilitate the starting of such engines in cold weather. I I

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, shown inlthe accompanying draw ing and more particularly set forth in the appended claims. 7

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical section of the front portion of a motor vehicle in which is mounted an internal combustion engine equipped with the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a detail of an arrangement of valves used in connection with this invention. N

In the use of water-cooled internal comb'ustion engines, the water'used in the circu lation system of such engines has heretofore, in cold weather, been a continual source of concern and difliculty. Whenever the atmospheric temperature reaches a point below freezing, there isalways danger of the water 1n thecirculatl'on system 7 freezing Y and "ture, even though the water in the circula- -t1o n system may not be frozen, the temperature of the working parts of the engine may be reduced to such an extent that the lubricfant used in the engine becomes chilled,

and thus makes restarting diliicult. The present invention is designed 'to overcome these difficulties.

. may be of any well-known or approved type, andwhich is provided with a water Jacket 2 surrounding the cylinders of the Specification of Letters Patent.

engine, circulation pipes 3' and a radiator 4.

Leading downwardly from the lowest portion of thecirculation system is a pipe 5, which extends into the interior of a storage tank 6 supported in any suitable manner beneath the engine. The tank 6 is entirely surrounded by heat insulating material 7, which thus completely incloses the tank, and prevents the escape of heat from any sub: stance held within the tank. Positioned within the tank and connected to the pipe 5 is a rotary pump 8, driven by a shaft 9, which extends througha stuffing box 10 in the wall of the tank 6. Mounted on the shaft 9 exteriorly of the tank 6 is a pulley 11, driven by a belt 12, which extends over a pulley 13 driven in any suitable manner from the engine, and designed to rotate whenever the engine is running. The pump 8 is provided, within the tank 6, with the ordinary valve 14:, to prevent return of the liquid I forced upwardly by the pump through the pipe 5. A short length of pipe 15 extends from the bottom of pump 8 to a valve 17, as shown in Fig. 2, may be any ordinary form of one-way valve, but is pro vided with a small opening 18, through which the liquid inthe circulation system of the engine may slowly drain into the tank 6.

The tank'6 is made entirely air-tight, but

is provided at its upper portion with an air pipe 19, which extends upwardly to a position easily accessible to the operator of the engine. The upper end of pipe 19 is pro- ,vided with an air pump 20, by means of which air may be forced into the tank 6, and also with a cook 21 operated by a handwheel 22, by means of which the tank 6 may be connected through the pipe 19 to the outer atmosphere.

The tank 6 is of sufficient capacity to receive'ithe entire amount of the'l'iquid used in i the circulation system, so that when all of the liquid in the system has been permitted to drain into the tank the portion of the pipe 5 outside of the tank will be free from liquid, and, the entire circulation medium will be inclosed-within the insulated tank 6.

the opening 18 in the valve 17 to the tank 6,

but the capacity of the pump 8 is sufficiently great to force the liquid upwardly at a considerably greater rate than it returns through the all of the circulating liquid will be maintained in the circulation system proper while the engine continues to run; During this operation the cook 21 is kept open, so that the upper portion of the tank 6 is in communication with the outer atmosphere. If at any time the engine is stopped, the liquid immediately begins to drain downwardly through the opening 18 in the valve 17, thus removing all of the liquid from the circulation system, and storing it within the tank 6 where the heat which it has received from the engine is retained in the liquid by the surrounding walls 7 of heat insulating material. None of the liquid is left outside of the tank 6 to be exposed to the low temperature of the atmosphere. Whenever the engine is restarted the pump again begins to work, and returns the liquid to its place in the circulation system.- If the engine, while remaining stationary, has become sufficiently chilled to solidify, or partially solidify, the lubricant, and thus make the engine difiicult to start, the cook 21 may be closed and the air pump 20 operated to force a sufficient amount of air into the tank 6 on top of the liquid contained therein to cause the liquid to rise through the pipe 16, valve 17 and pipe 5 into the portion of the circulation system surrounding the engine. Since the fluid in the tank 6, because of its protection, will still retain the heat previously imparted to it by the combustion of the gases in the engine cylinders, this fluid which is now brought back into the jacket surrounding the engine will rapidly raise the temperature of the lubricant, thus restoring it to its liquid condition, andmak- .ing it an'easy matter. to'restartcthe engine.

After the engine has once been started the cook 21 may be re-opened to connect the upper part of the tank 5 with the outer at-.

mosphere, and the device will thereafter operate in the ordinary manner.

It should be noted that the storing of the circulating liquid in'the, insulated tank 6 -may be entirely automatic whenever the engine ceases to run, and that its return to the circulation system may also be automatic Whenever the engine is restarted. The deneed not "require any. .attention whatever from the operator, but may automatically care for the liquid in the cirvalve 17, so that substantially culation system, completely inclosing it in the insulated tank at all times when it is not being heated by the operation of the engine, and just as automatically restoring it to the circulation system whenever the engine is restarted. The only time that the deviceneed receive any attention at all from the operator is when he wishes to make use of the heat retained by the liquid in the insulated tank for heating the lubricant in the engine to facilitate the starting thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a circulation system for engines, means for removing and storing the circulating medium from said system when said medium is not neededjn said system, and means apart from said circulation system for automatically restoring the medium to said system when the engine is restarted.

2. In combination, a motor, a circulation system therefor, and means extraneous to said system for automatically removing and storing the circulating medium from said system'whenever said motor ceases to operate.

3. In combination, a motor, a circulation system for said motor, and means for automatically storing the circulating medium of said system in a extraneous to said system whenever said medium is not required in said circulation system. I

4. In combination, an internal combustion engine, meansfor bringing a cooling medium into contact with said engine, an insulated chamber connected with said means, but extraneous thereto, and means for automatically storing said cooling medium in said chamber when said engine is not running.

5. In combination, an engine having a circulation system for a cooling medium, means for automatically removing said medium from said system when said engine is not running, and means forming no part of said system for restoring said medium tb said system when said engine is restarted.

6. In combination, an engine having a circulation system for a cooling medium, means for automatically removing said medium from said system when said engine is not running, and means forming no part of said system for automatically restoring said medium to said system when said engine is restarted.

7. In combination, an engine having a circulation system for a cooling medium, means for automatically storing said medium in an insulated chamber whenever said engine is not running, and means for automatically restoring said medium to said system when said engine is restarted, said system and chamber having but a single communicating passage from one to the other.

8. In combination, an internal combustion engine having a. circulation system for a cooling medium, a storage tank apart from said system but having communication therewith, means for slowly draining said medium from said system into said tank, and means operated whenever said engine is running for returning the medium from said tank to said system more rapidly than it is transferred from said system to said tank. a

9. In combination, an internal combustion engine having a circulation system for a cooling medium, of a heat insulated storage chainber, said system and chamber being disconnected except for a single communicating passage,'means for permitting said medium to be slowly transferred from said system to said chamber through said passage, and means for more rapidly returning said medium through said passage to said system whenever said engine is running.

10. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a circulation system for a cooling medium, of means for auto- :matically removing said medium from said circulation system when said enginekis not running, and means independent of said en- I gine forrestoring said medium to said sysitem at the will of the opprator.

11. n combination with an internal combustion en 'ine havin a circulation s stem p b i v ,for a cooling medium, of means for automatically removing said medlum from said system when said engine is not running, means for automatically restoring said medium to said system when said engine is running, and means for restoring said medium to said system at the will of the operator. l

12. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a circulation system for a cooling medium, of means for automatically removing said medium from said system when said engine is not running;

means for automatically restoring said me dium to said system when said eng ne is running, means for restoring said medium to said system at the will of the operator, and a heat insulated chamber in which said medium is stored while removed from said system.

13, In combination with an internal combustion engine having a circulation system for a cooling medium, of a, heat insulated storage chamber forming no part of said system, ,means for slowly draining said medium from the lowest portionof said system into said chamber, a pump for returning said medium to said system, when said engine is running, at a rate greater than that at which it is transferred by said draining means from said system to said chamher, and meansifor restoring said medium to said system 'at the will of the operator.

let. The combination i with an internal combustion engine having a circulation system for a cooling medium, of a receptacle or tank capable of holding said cooling medium, means or emptying said cooling mediuminto said tank when said engine ceases to operate, means operable at the will of the operator for returning said medium to said circulation system immediately prior to'or at the time of starting said engine, and means for automatically returning said medium to said system when said engine is started, in case said medium has not been previously r turned.

15. In com: lnation, a motor, a circulat on system therefor, a storage tank for receivmg the u ting medium from said system, said tank being heat-insulated and sulpstantially air-tight, a pump located within said tank arranged to take liquid from a point near the bottom portion of said tank and force said liquid into said circulation system, and means connected with the upper portion of said tank for regulating the air pressure within said tank.

In testimohy whereof I have signed my namelto this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 3rd day (if December A. D. 1915.

l CHARLES Y. KNIGHT.

lVitnesses a C. A. PHILBRICK,

DAWN IVILLrAMsoN. 

